Mobile games find traction with investors
Investments in mobile games startups have increased in the second quarter of this year, according to a new report from Digi-Capital, an investment group devoted to the game industry. The report shows that the value of these investments has increased by some 63% over what it had been in the first half of 2012, reaching $706 million. The report also shows that the number of investments in game companies has grown by 7%.
Report highlights the transactions mobile games represent
According to the report, mobile games have seen strong growth this year. These games accounted for 56% of the transaction value and 37% of the transaction volume seen in the game industry. The growth that mobile games have been experiencing is largely due to the increased proliferation of smartphones and tablets. As these devices become more available, more consumers are being drawn into the mobile gaming space. Many of these consumers have shown that they are willing to spend their money on these games.
Online functionality proves popular among consumers
The report predicts that mobile games and online games could grow to account for 55% of the $83 billion game market by 2016. Online games have proven to be particularly attractive due to the community elements they feature. Mobile games with online functionality have managed to attract the enthusiasm of consumers around the world, many of whom have begun seeking out similar games that offer community-based gameplay.
Tablets are favored for mobile gaming
Mobile games currently represent 72% of the money that is spent on mobile applications. This includes in-app payments that consumers make to unlock additional content. These games have become most popular on tablet devices. The report shows that tablets account for nearly 67% of mobile game use. Consumers appear to favor tablet devices for gaming because of the larger screens that these devices sport as well as their more advance graphics processing units.
EA has high hopes for next generation mobile games
Major game publisher Electronic Arts believes that the next generation of mobile games will have the same graphical capabilities of games for the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. This would have been a bold claim, if mobile technology had remained relatively stagnant over the past few years. Technology has, however, advanced at a very rapid pace and modern smartphones and tablets are equipped with hardware that could rival the current generation of consoles.
Mobile games manage to gain popularity with modest graphics
Mobile games are already quite popular among consumers, so much so that they have begun to cut into the sales of console games in some parts of the world. These games have not won consumers over by offering high quality visuals, however, as most mobile games are designed with very simple, approachable graphical content. The modest graphics of most mobile games is directly linked to the hardware capabilities of smartphones and tablets. Until very recently, these devices have not been designed with gaming in mind, thus did not boast of high performance graphics processing units (GPUs).
New technology enables games to become more visually impressive
Because smartphones and tablets have become major entertainment platforms for many consumers, device makers have been working on making these devices more accommodating of mobile games. Electronic Arts notes that the progress these devices have made in terms of graphical power has improved significantly over the past two years and could lead to a new generation of mobile games that provide a visually stunning experience as well as one that is enjoyable for consumers from a gameplay standpoint.
Graphics engines could signal a bright future for mobile games
Electronic Arts notes that many of the graphics engines that it uses for console games can be modified to be used on mobile devices. These engines are common in games that have been made for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles, but have seen minimal use in the mobile sector. As these engines become more available to developers and help usher in a new generation of smartphones and tablets, mobile games may soon become a much larger and more prolific part of the game industry in the near future.
